Electric furnace.



ELECTRIC FUBNACE.

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ELECTRIC FURNACE.

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ALFREDH. OOVLES, OF OLEVELAND,

PATENT OFFICE.

OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRIC SMELTING AND ALUMINUM OO., OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC FU RNAC'E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 676,575, dated J une 18, 1901.

Original application filed J'uly 6, 1895, Serial No. 555,115. Divided and this application led April 9, 1897. Serial To all whom it may concern: v

Beit known that I, ALFRED H, GowLEs, `a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain ynew and usefulv Improvements in Electric Furnaces, (divi-4 sional case of Serial No. 555,115, filed July 6, 1895 5) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofY the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accoma panying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. y

This invention relates to electric furnaces, and particularly to an electric conductor connection between the carbon stick'and electric cable; and it consists of a metallic conductor having a closed` chamber for the circulation of a cooling iiuid therein in contact with the walls of the conductor and against the end of the conductor which holds the carbon, Whereby high and protracted heats may be run Without injury to the conductor or the fur-- Ilarca In electric furnaces wherein the current is taken in through carbon electrodes or sticks it is difcult to secure such a connection between the carbon stick and the metal holder as will not offer resistance to the flow of the current. This is generally a weak point in the cir'cuit, and the result is that the end of the metal holder is subjected not only to transmitted heat from the furnace itself, but to heat generated by the resistance of the contact at the joinder of the holder with the carbon stick. From this latter cause the heat generated at the junction of the holder and the carbon sometimes partially fuses the metal and still further impairs the connection and increases the resistance. Metal eX- pands more than carbon. Therefore if the metal of the holder or conductor becomes heated at the point of connection between the carbon and the conductor the contraction and expansion of the latter impairs the joint and interrupts the electric current often to such an extent that the operation of the furnace is (No model.)

stopped. It is to overcome and obviate these objections, difticulties, and disadvantages that my invention is particularly intended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a' vertical section of an electric furnace, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same.

A is the furnacechamber, iilled with a charge B, and() a carbon stick carried by the holder C and constituting one of the electrodes, the bottom of the furnace-chamber constituting the other electrode. The electrode O is adjustably supported in any preferred way. In the present case the upper end c' ofthe holder is screw-threaded and en.- gages with a hand wheel-nut c2, properly supported in a girder c3. One of the electric cables is yattached to the holder at c4 and connection is made by the other terminal of the electric circuit with the outer iron shell of the furnace at a, the current passing through the carbon filling or block A to the charge in the furnace-chamber. rI lhe holderv or conductor connection O has a cup end I), fitting the protruding end of the ca'rbon stick or electrode O, and a closed water-tight chamber D', extending from said end to the opposite closed end of the holder or conductor. Themeans for carrying the Water or other cooling fluid into and out of the chamber consists of an inlet-pipe c5, extending through the upper portion of the chamber-wall and projecting centrally down into the chamberv and terminating in an open end near the bottom of the chamber, so as to discharge the cooling fluid onto or against the end of the chamber-wall which forms the bottom of the cup in which the carbon is held, and a discharge-pipe c6, secured to the upper portion of the chamber-wall opposite the inlet and in communication with the upper portion of the said chamber. This construction and arrangement will admit of the chamber being kept nearly full of the cooling fluid under circulation therein by the inlet-pipe discharging upon-the end of the chamber which is in contact with the carbon, the uid then rising up around the inletpipe and out through the outlet-pipe, maintaining a continuous iiow of the cooling fluid not only lcarbon passages vfor the gases. with these iues are the gas-pipes F F', lead through the holder or conductor, but against the end thereof `in vcontact "with the carbon electrode. Thus the entire metal of the holder, and particularly the end or cup holding the carbon, is prevented from overheating and the electric current passes through the fluidfilled holder without interruption or impairing the joint between the holder and the electrode. The furnace chamber or .crucible is also provided with a water-jacket a. and with water-pipes a2 a3 for the inflow and outflow of water therefrom.

For the purpose of this divisional case the other structural features of the furnace'are l not material; but they are briefly as follows; Extending laterally from the furnace-chamber are flues E E filled with granulated vor f brokencarbon e, the interstices of which form Connected ing `to a `reversing valve-chamber G, which chamberhas a gas-supply pipe H and a discharge-pipe I. The latter vmay lead to a gasholder -orto such apparatus as may be proper for thesubsequent treatment or handling of the product. Connected with the gas-supply pipe there is van air-,pi pe H', which admits air under pressure to the gas.

The ifumace-chamber, as indicated, is filled tothe top with the charge of ore and carbon, with the top covered with a surface covering of fine lcarbon B. 'K is a tap for drawing off Athe in olten vmaterial collected in the Sump.-

This construction admits of the passage ofV gases through the material undergoing re'- dnction in the furnace and a reversal of the iiow of gas therethrough. I

Although Ihave shown the conductor applied to a vertical electrode, it may beas well used upon a horizontal electrode without the least change in structure by keeping the outlet-pipe uppermost, so that the fluid will not run out until forced by fresh fluid from the Vinlet-pipe.

What I herein claim as my invention is- 1. A water-cooled device for electrically connecting an electric conductor with an elecf trode, comprising a hollow shell adapted to hold a bodyv of Water or cooling fluid and having a closed end to which the conductor is attached, a cup end closed against the hollow of the shell and carrying the electrode, avpipe within the shell and opening against the cup, and a pipe from the shell opposite the cup,

lsubstantially as set forth.

2. In an electric furnace, Vthe combi-nation of the cooling-jacket surrounding the .fur nace-chamber, a liningfor said chamber, gaspassages leading from the centerof Sthe chamf ber through the lining and the jacket, a carbon electrode, and a holder for the electrode composed of material the coefficient expansion of which is greater than that of the carbon, and having a closed chamber for thecir.- culation of a cooling fluid againstthe :end of the holder carrying the electrode and in-con tact with the wal-ls of the said chamberl Y In testimony whereof I affix my signature 4in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED H. COWLES.

Witnessesz S. A. TERRY, STORY B. LADD. 

